252 SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [APRIL 



about considerably, and only a little water could be got through 

 the engine-room pumps. The hand pump had been kept going all 

 night, but during the morning also choked, and as soon as there 

 was a little water in the well, it lifted a plate in the engine-room 

 during one of the ship's bad heels and let all the ashes and coal 

 down into the well. Both bunker doors had to be shut and could 

 not be opened with safety; engines were stopped and steam kept 

 for the bilge pump, whose suction was with great difficulty kept 

 partially free by Mr. Williams. He kept a perforated enamel 

 jug on the end of the suction, and stopping the pump every two 

 or three minutes as the suction choked, removed and cleared the 

 jug, replaced it and then restarted the pump; this process having 

 to be kept up the whole time the hand pumps were being seen to. 

 To accomplish his object Williams had to lie flat on the boiler- 

 room plates, and when the ship listed to starboard, stretch right 

 down with his head below the plates and clear as much coal away 

 from round the suction as possible. This often meant that the 

 water surged back before he could get his head out, and there 

 can be few nastier liquids to be ducked in than that very dirty 

 bilge-water. 



Meanwhile for the hand pumps Davies had to take off the 

 bottom lengths of the suction pipes, lift them, and clear them 

 from below. To do this the flange rivets had to be bored 

 out, and it took eight hours' incessant work to finish the 

 job. 



During the re-fitting at Lyttelton pumps and everything con- 

 nected with them were thoroughly overhauled in all respects and 

 never gave serious trouble again. 



Paterson Inlet was made on March 28 and Lyttelton on 

 April i. 



Throughout all her cruise the scientific side of the ship's work 

 was undertaken as follows : Lillie had all the biological work and 

 Rennick was solely in charge of the soundings, and it can be 

 safely said that neither of them missed a single opportunity that 

 offered; 



Meteorological Log: Drake; 

 Zoological Log: Bruce; 

 Magnetic Log and Current Log: Pennell; 



while the officer of the watch, at the time, kept a general lookout 

 for anything of interest that might occur. 



